Disaster management team set up

By Saptarshi Bhattacharya

CHENNAI, SEPT. 2. Following the death of a five-year-old boy who fell into a borewell pit in Mannady, on Saturday, the city police have set up a special disaster management team to deal with similar situations in future.

With the Chief Minister, Ms. Jayalalithaa, taking serious note of the tragedy, and announcing Rs. 1 lakh as relief to the parents of the boy, the police have decided to form a contingent of 20 commandos to assist in rescue operations of a similar nature.

The commandos will be helped by agencies involved in fire and rescue services. The men will be provided additional training to attend to any similar crisis or freak mishaps. The team will be headed by the Joint Commissioner of Police (North), Mr. C. Sylendra Babu.

In addition, a database of experts has been drawn out from those who had extended their expertise in the rescue operation in Mannady. Apart from Government agencies, engineers from various construction companies and private contractors were involved in the 60-hour rescue operation which ended around Saturday midnight.

Talking to The Hindu today, Mr. Sylendra Babu said contractors would be told that strong punitive measures would be taken against those found guilty of similar negligence, as witnessed at Mannady.

The thrust right now should be on prevention of similar freak mishaps and the civic agencies should also share responsibilities, he maintained.

Ms. Jayalalithaa, in a statement, said she was pained that the efforts of the government to rescue the boy had proved futile.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : Southern States
Previous : Sonia appoints five trustees
Next     : PMK hopeful of third front by next Assembly polls